1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiography system using electronic cassettes to take radiographs, a console and the electronic cassettes for the radiography system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the medical field, radiography systems utilizing radioactive rays, such as x-rays, for imaging are widely known. An x-ray radiography system includes an x-ray radiator having an x-ray source for radiating x-rays, and radiographic equipment for receiving x-rays as being projected from the x-ray radiator toward a subject and penetrating through the subject, thereby to acquire a radiograph or x-ray image representing information on the subject. As the radiographic equipment, an x-ray image detector using a flat panel detector (FPD) in place of conventional x-ray film or an imaging plate (IP) has recently been known, which can output digital data of an acquired x-ray image, as disclosed in JPA 2010-268822.
This prior art describes a built-in type x-ray image detector that is integrated in a radiographic stand for imaging in the upright position or a radiographic table for imaging in the recumbent position, and an electronic cassette for radiography, a portable x-ray image detector containing a FDP in a portable housing. The electronic cassette for radiography, hereinafter called simply as the electronic cassette, may be used in a position on a bed on which a patient lies, or a position held by a patient in order to acquire images from such part of the patient, e.g. leg or arm, that is hard to capture by the built-in type image detector. Either type of the x-ray image detectors is controllable on a console.
As described in the prior art, a radiologist in charge of radiography selects a suitable type of x-ray image detector from among a variety of x-ray image detectors according to an examination order that is received from a requester for the radiography. The patient or subject of the examination is led to the x-ray image detector, and the x-ray image detector is positioned to the target site of the subject. Acquisition settings and other control data are transmitted from the console to the selected x-ray image detector. When an image is acquired by the selected x-ray image detector from the subject irradiated with the x-ray, the console receives image data of the acquired image from the selected x-ray image detector and displays the acquired image on a screen.
As disclosed in FIG. 4 and paragraph 0038 of JPA 2010-268822, the console is configured to display an operating screen that is provided with a number of selection buttons corresponding to a previously registered various kinds of x-ray image detectors. The selection buttons on the operating screen have icons that schematically show respective appearances of the corresponding x-ray image detectors, to facilitate selecting an appropriate one of these x-ray image detectors.
Displaying an icon of the corresponding image detector on each selection button, like in the above prior art, enables the radiologist to compare the icons with the appearances of the actual x-ray image detectors and confirm that the x-ray image detector selected on the console coincides with the x-ray image detector to which the patient is positioned. If these image detectors do not coincide, no image will be acquired even while the patient is irradiated with x-rays. For the sake of operability and safety of the radiography system, it is very important making it easier for the radiologist to check whether the x-ray image detector selected on the console coincides with the x-ray image detector to which the patient is positioned.
Such icons that indicate appearances of different kinds of image detectors, as disclosed in the prior art, are useful for discriminating between those x-ray image detectors which differ apparently from each other, e.g. a stationary image detector like the radiographic stand or table and a portable electronic cassette. However, it is difficult for the icons to clearly show the difference between those image detectors which have similar or identical appearances, like the electronic cassettes. In that case, it becomes difficult to confirm the coincidence between the image detector selected on the console and the image detector actually positioned to the subject.
According to a survey of x-ray image detectors used in medical facilities, a radiographic stand and a radiographic table are installed in one x-ray room in many cases, and in few cases two or more stationary x-ray image detectors of the same kind, like multiple radiographic stands or multiple radiographic tables, are installed. To the contrary, there are many medical facilities that use a plurality of electronic cassettes in one x-ray room.
Such electronic cassettes that have substantially the same size as the conventional film cassettes and IP cassettes, 14 by 17 inch, have recently been popular. This type electronic cassette may be used independently but also as a substitute for the stationary image detector. That is, the electronic cassette may be mounted in a conventional radiographic stand or table that has been used in combination with the film cassette or the IP cassette.
Although the capability of the electronic cassettes for use in many styles or modes is convenient, frequent attaching or detaching operation of the electronic cassette to or from the radiographic stand or table may cause confusion with other electronic cassettes because they have identical or similar appearance. The probability of confusing and misplacing the electronic cassettes will increase as the number of available electronic cassettes increases. Especially in a hospital where two or more radiologists deal with the electronic cassettes, the confusion and misplacement of the electronic cassettes will be more likely to happen. Therefore, a solution has been desired that makes it easier and surer for the radiologist to confirm whether the electronic cassette positioned to the subject of examination is equal to the one selected on the console. The above mentioned prior art does not disclose nor imply this problem and any solution therefor.